


World End

by A_n_g_e_l



Category: K Project
Genre: Kind of follows canon.. ish., M/M, Takeru is not all-knowing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-23
Updated: 2015-12-23
Packaged: 2018-05-08 14:33:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5500955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_n_g_e_l/pseuds/A_n_g_e_l
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Homra, Scepter 4. The heart of the clan. Loved by even the demon. That was the Red's Totsuka Tatara, and the Blue's Kusuhara Takeru respectively. Alike, but belonging in opposing clans. Neither fared well in battle, and both met his end with a bullet. </p><p>(Takeru watches as the world of Kings begins to crumble. Tatara and Mikoto join him.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	World End

**Author's Note:**

> My thoughts were pretty scattered while writing this, so it could be vague and or confusing. Also, everyone may be out of character, and I deeply apologize for that.
> 
> Oh, while reading this, keep in mind that in this, the dead don't know everything that's going on, only what they see. Also, doing something(such as talking to the living, or making items move) in the living world that isn't just hanging around and watching takes a large amount of energy.

There's cracks. Cracks that can been seen everywhere in Munakata's mask, if you know where to look. It started with Takeru himself's death. The ever so slight stiffening of his hands when he was mentioned, the very slight off tone that his King used whenever speaking about him as if he were a calculated death. No, Kusuhara Takeru knows that his death was a miscalculation, no matter what Munakata has said or implied to his living clansmen. Takeru has complete and utter faith in the man. Even so, it's his death that brings about the first time he questions his King; was it smart to choose the obviously unstable Fushimi Saruhiko as his replacement?

He knows the boy has had a hard time growing up, he can tell from the pained look in those deep blue eyes, from the way the boy cries out for a 'Misaki' in his sleep, but ranking him above the Special Ops squad? Was that wise? Fushimi Saruhiko was certainly talented, he could easily tell from first glance. But could someone twisted beyond repair be trusted to rank over a squad who would follow orders to the end? Takeru can't help but wonder.

Despite Takeru's worries, Fushimi proves himself time and time again within his first few months in the Special Ops squad, and when Takeru finally sees a grudging respect in Fushimi's eyes when he looks to their Captain, Takeru relaxes, no matter how concerned he is for one Yata Misaki. He knows being on the end of Fushimi's father-induced psychosis can't be easy for someone still attached to the boy.

It's after Takeru is absolutely certain Fushimi Saruhiko won't slit Munakata's throat in his sleep, that time seems to fly by.

When Totsuka Tatara joins him in King/Clan-watching, he knows it will not, cannot, end well, for either of their Kings. Mikoto is volatile and more brash than his worst days ever used to be; Munakata's voice wavers as he tries to bargain with the Red King to not let go of his own life life just yet in favor for revenge, sardonic attitude flaring. Mikoto refuses. Munakata hasn't fallen apart, hasn't shattered to pieces, but his mask is cracked, and his feelings aren't invisible anymore. It's the beginning of the end of Kings.

Suoh Mikoto is fine with dying. Munakata Reisi, however, is not okay with sticking his prized sword through Mikoto's chest. Reisi does it anyway. Mikoto is only thankful.

Takeru watches as tears threaten to fall from violet eyes. He watches as his King walks away from the one man he loved, hands stained with his blood. His own amber eyes darken with sadness. If only.. he's been watching ever since he took that bullet for Munakata, and Totsuka Tatara by his side ever since _he_ took the Colorless King's bullet. Now Suoh Mikoto joins them, which put a stop to their daily tea, where both parties would sit and sip their steaming drinks, scalding their tongues, and worrying over their both troubled and troublesome kings(it had only lasted for two weeks; Mikoto had been a ticking time bomb). It was another pleasant thing Suoh Mikoto has ruined. Mikoto doesn't seem particularly weighed down or regretful by the effects of his death seen in Reisi. Takeru is a bit resentful for that, sees the shadows in his own King's eyes, how Reisi's missing that spark that made him so eccentric(terrifying) and endearing, how Reisi's hands won't stop trembling minutely, no matter how hard he tries to go back to normal. Tatara's worry for the Blue King almost makes up for Mikoto's lack thereof. When Takeru brought this up, the ex-Red King had only let out a grunt, closing his eyes in nap. Takeru's hands close into fists, and his nails leave half-moon shaped marks in his palms.

When Kushina Anna is captured by Jungle, their small house is in uproar. Mikoto growls his displeasure, Tatara has to calm him, and Takeru distances himself from the two Reds fearing an angry Red King instead, checking in on his parents which he hadn't seen since the day of his funeral. They seem to be doing well. It's been a while, after all. His mother hums the song she used to sing to him as a child while she cooks supper, and she doesn't forget to leave him offerings in the family's altar. It makes him feel guilty that he hasn't visited earlier, but the business with Kings had taken his attention.

The day Kushina Anna accepted the powers of the Red King, Takeru made himself scarce. She didn't need to see an unknown face in the land of the dead. Instead, he stays in the kitchen, humming to himself and cooking everyone lunch. He can hear Mikoto telling the child that it was _her_ red now, not his, and Takeru knows that Anna will no longer reject the Slate. It's not long after when Munakata shields everyone from the destruction of unruly powers of the new Red King, and Takeru nearly burns the rice. That was another hit to his own King's well being.

Takeru's breath catches in his throat when that first crack appears in Reisi's Sword of Damocles. He sees the way his Captain waves it off, the burden of killing a King, and Takeru's heart clenches with a petrifying fear. Tatara ended up having to drag him over to the couch, and coax what the problem was from him. They curled up together, and wished for Reisi's well-being. When Mikoto walked in on them, nothing was said, but the man laid a hand on top of both of their heads, so Takeru knew Suoh had seen the going-on of the living world, and maybe, just maybe, was a little regretful too.

The moment Munakata looses the fight with Iwafune Tenki, or Seigo Ootori, he should say, Takeru knows something large is coming. Even so, he can't say he expected the cruel exchange between Munakata and Fushimi. He wants to cry out, wants to stop them before something is said that can't be taken back, but Munakata says the magic words, and it's as if the world is shattering. Fushimi draws back, face contorted with hurt, and Takeru's heart breaks just that much more. He may not have trusted Fushimi in the beginning, but through observation, Takeru had gotten to know him better, and know his heart. Takeru is certain that Fushimi is a good boy. Looking at both King and knight, there's an ache in Takeru's chest, the betrayal of trust written across Fushimi's face, the savage triumph on his King's.. (Takeru notices the way Munakata's hands squeeze together tight, but thinks nothing of it). Totsuka has to take him by the shoulder and lead him away from the scene. The two Reds hold him close that night.

When Reisi agrees to resign(is fired) by that arrogant prime minister, Takeru's first instinct is to rush to Munakata's side. He wants to reassure him, to comfort him, to do _something_ but being dead, none of his attempts would do anything at all.

Instead, he sits there in that government asshole's office for the rest of his day, using up all of his stored energy to create unfortunate incidents with breaking(exploding) coffee machines and missing food from the man's own private work refrigerator. (He takes the food up to Totsuka and Mikoto; neither of which seemed at all upset about his thievery from the land of the living).

It was a bit surprising, considering a general rule in the establishment was to not take from the living, simply because it was mean and unfair, not to mention takes a large amount of energy. Takeru thinks that the prime minister deserves a lot worse than coffee over the walls and a missing lunch. Perhaps he is turning into a vengeful spirit, but no one destroys Munakata Reisi if he can help it. Takeru spends the rest of the day wallowing in the Scepter 4 offices, invisible to the living Blue Clansmen.

The following weeks are dreary within Scepter 4, but he can't bring himself to leave. The utter outrage and negative energy in the buildings are palatable. Hidaka, Domyouji, Fuse.. even honest, dutiful Akiyama are loosing patience, and despite how Awashima tries to reign down everyone's emotions, the squads are restless. When he returns home for the first time in over a month looking frayed around the edges, Tatara greets him with a kind, understanding smile.

"Munakata-san visited the bar today.. King went to watch over him."

Takeru is back out in the living world in a flash, but is only there in enough time to catch Mikoto leaving the words, " _That's unlike you, Munakata.._ " for his King to hear. Takeru practically flies over to the redheaded man as Reisi turns, searching for a source of the voice, but the former Red King can't manage any more words audible to a live man's ear. Standing by Mikoto's side, his only thoughts are, regretfully, that Munakata would be joining them a lot more quickly than anticipated.

"Fushimi might die too." Mikoto says to him as they turn to leave. "The fight was an excuse to allow Fushimi to infiltrate <jungle>, and once he betrays them, they'll kill him." At that moment, Takeru wants to shout at Munakata, he truly does. Because Munakata is leaving his best piece on the board to be sacrificed, leaving the misunderstood Fushimi Saruhiko to death in some cavern under the city, never to make peace with his past. Even so, he can't bring himself to leave Munakata's side.

"Stay in this world with me a little longer," Takeru says to Mikoto. "I want to follow the Captain." The former Red King only answers with a grunt, but he doesn't leave.

As chaos begins and Zenjo steps up, Takeru's first thought is that Munakata brought his mentor to fight for him, to preserve his Sword of Damocles. He's sorely mistaken, to his dismay. The fight isn't going well, he can see easily. Iwafune's sword is in almost perfect condition, but Munakata's has a crack running up it's side. The Gray King's mist that comes rolling in is cloying, and obstructs all visibility. It's such an unfair battle, and when Munakata is kicked to the ground, Takeru nearly screams his throat hoarse. Mikoto doesn't even try to stop him as he rushes to his King's side. Munakata can't see him, he knows, but he can't help himself when he wraps his arms around Munakata tightly, despite whatever fear for the man remained from when he was alive(he can love, respect, and yet, still fear someone at the same time).

He and Munakata alike wait to the final blow, the bullet to end Reisi's life, but it never comes. Instead, the Lieutenant Awashima and the Special Ops squad are all there, lined up in a perfect formation shielding them, and Takeru nearly laughs, realizing that perfect, duty-minded Acting Commander of Scepter 4 Akiyama Himori had disregarded orders from the Prime minister. He could see something like this coming from Hidaka, but _Akiyama_? He supposed it simply goes to show that no one thought of the Blue King as _just_ that weird boss. He was their King, after all. But their King is about to fall.

When Munakata struggles to his feet, Takeru lets him go. Surely he wasn't going to? Dread fills his body, but he's _dead_. He can't stop Munakata from meeting the same fate as he had, and even when Iwafune's corpse lies on the ground, Takeru knows there won't be a happy end; there's a groaning of metal from the sky. The Blue King's Sword of Damocles is overburdened, and there's no time for regrets. Soon, Munakata Reisi will be joining him. A hand lands on Takeru's shoulder.

"Takeru. Move back. You probably shouldn't be too close when his Lieutenant runs him through." Takeru does as he's told numbly, and Tatara's arms- when did he get there?- wrap around his small frame comfortingly, but he barely notices. Munakata's not supposed to die yet. Not here, not now, but Takeru's too late, and a bitter thought crossed his mind.

_After this, should I go and welcome Fushimi-san to the afterlife too?_

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I may come back and alter this later. Who knows.


End file.
